On Thursday, John Dougherty, a former prominent union leader in Philadelphia’s IBEW Local 98, received a six-year jail sentence for convictions of federal bribery and embezzlement that were handed down during the previous three years.
“Look, I’m the boss,” Dougherty responded when questioned about sentencing outside of the courtroom. That is the reality.
At 10:30 a.m., Dougherty’s sentence hearing got underway in Reading, Pennsylvania. People wearing union shirts and supporters of Dougherty crowded the courtroom.
There were also Justice Kevin Dougherty of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, his brother, former Philadelphia City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, and City Councilmember Jim Harrity.
Erin, Dougherty’s daughter, implored the judge, bringing her father down from prison to house detention during the hearing. She requested that the judge take into account the quadriplegic wife of the former labor leader, who is her only caregiver.
Federal prosecutors, however, requested a lengthy prison sentence, arguing that the misuse of authority and confidence wasn’t a passing error in judgment. Several witnesses, including Dougherty’s daughter, appeared at the court on Thursday to testify on his side.
On September 4, Dougherty is scheduled to report to prison. They asked that he be placed in a Lewisburg federal facility.
In addition, Dougherty was mandated to make reparations exceeding $300,000 in sum.
Five years after his initial indictment, he is being sentenced. The former head of IBEW union Local 98 has been the subject of searches and investigations by FBI and IRS officers for more than ten years.
In 2021, Dougherty faced his first trial and was found guilty on charges of bribery and fraud related to his use of former Councilman Bobby Henon to further projects and employment for Local 98. A jury found Henon and Dougherty guilty, and now they are each serving a three and a half-year prison sentence.
In December 2023, Dougherty was convicted for the second time on counts of conspiracy and embezzlement by a jury. During the trial, which lasted three days and resulted in a verdict on numerous charges, Dougherty faced accusations of misusing over $600,000 in union funds for personal purchases.
Greg Pagano, Dougherty’s lawyer, contended that the former labor chief ought to receive a break because of his years of kindness and charitable contributions to Philadelphia organizations.
“I think John’s community work and charitable work all came back to help him,” Pagano stated. “The court government got to see that side of John Dougherty.”
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In December, it was also decided that Dougherty’s codefendant, former union president Brian Burrows, was guilty. Burrows was charged with employing a contractor—who was summoned as the government’s main witness during the trial—to renovate his house for tens of thousands of dollars. Burrows ordered the contractor to send the work bill straight to Local 98, according to the evidence.
Burrows received a four-year prison term last month. The 64-year-old will be under supervision for three years after being found guilty of embezzlement charges that included stealing money from Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
In addition, he must pay over $100,000 in forfeiture, over $1,000 in special assessment, and restitution. Plea deals were accepted by several of Dougherty’s close associates.
A mistrial was ruled in an extortion case involving Dougherty and his nephew Greg Fiocca in April 2024 by a court. August 2020, according to the prosecution, Fiocca assaulted a contractor. After a full day of deliberations, the jury informed the Berks County court that it was deadlocked.
